Elena Rybakina defeats World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at the WTA Finals, and Jessica Pegula withdraws with a knee injury.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka fell to Elena Rybakina 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 in the WTA Finals group stage on Wednesday. Sabalenka hasn't been eliminated from competition yet as she already clinched her group. It was a big upset as Rybakina is coming off two months of a break from tennis.

Elena Rybakina has warned the likes of Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek that she will be back to dethrone them next year. The Kazakh star had a difficult season often marred by injuries and illness before splitting with her long-term coach. But she still managed to lift three titles and remain at No. 5 in the world.

Aryna Sabalenka is the first player to secure a semi-final spot at the WTA Finals but her victory over Jasmine Paolini spells the end of the road for Elena Rybakina.

There is not much left for Aryna Sabalenka to accomplish this season. Sabalenka has already clinched the WTA year-end No. 1 ranking to cap off her two Grand Slam titles.However, every match is important to Sabalenka.

In her most recent match on September 30, 2024, Sabalenka won 6-2, 6-2 against Ashlyn Krueger in the Round of 32 of the China Open. In her last match, which was slated for August 29, 2024 at the US Open, Rybakina was eliminated against Jessika Ponchet via walkover.

On Wednesday, Aryna Sabalenka (No. 1 in the world) takes on Elena Rybakina (No. 5) in the Round Robin at the Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara.Sabalenka’s last competition was a win, 6-2, 6-2,

TL;DR: Live stream Sabalenka vs. Rybakina in the 2024 WTA Finals for free on TVNZ+. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Elena Rybakina has declared she wants to enjoy her match with Aryna Sabalenka at the 2024 WTA Finals and make it “difficult” for the Belarusian. The Kazakh star was beaten 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-1 by world No 7 Zheng Qinwen in her second round robin match at the WTA Finals in Riyadh on Monday.